Economics

An EnLink GHP system is good for business because it saves you money. It’s that simple.

According to the US Department of Energy, a geothermal heat pump system such as those offered by EnLink will reduce your HVAC energy demand by 50 percent and overall energy demand by 35 percent.

Another important factor is operations and management. EnLink’s GHP systems are simpler than a conventional heating and air conditioning system — meaning no expensive compressors to go bad, and far less maintenance.

A GHP system is the perfect hedge against inflation in energy prices (electricity, natural gas and heating oil), giving you a level of economic comfort unattainable with conventional HVAC.

Why EnLink?

If a geothermal heat pump system is the right HVAC solution for you, then EnLink is the right company for you. The professionals at EnLink have 14 years of experience behind them, encompassing 75 projects in 14 states. They have a record of innovation in implementing optimally designed and executed earth heat exchangers (EHXs) in several key areas:

Patented use of sonic drill head in EHX application
Better drill rig design optimized for high-volume drilling to enable rapid penetration under many soil conditions and to minimize on-site equipment movement
Patented equipment and tools for loop installation
3-D seismic technology to assess underground soil conditions before drilling
(still in development)
Patented metering systems

EnLink currently holds 13 separate patents nationally and internationally for innovations that have fundamentally changed the GHP business. These improvements in the basic technology have allowed EnLink to reduce the costs of EHX installation significantly, while making EnLink one of the most reliable installers and competitive companies in the field.

Cost Comparison

Two key factors to evaluate when deciding on an HVAC investment are total installed cost vs. annual savings, which together produce a “payback” period.

The comparison below, conducted for a hypothetical New York office building, illustrates how a GHP system stacks up against a conventional HVAC system. After five years, the GHP system has saved $443,000. Actual savings will vary depending on conditions at your site.

Another case study looks at the estimated cost for installing a geothermal heat pump system with an EnLink EHX in a hypothetical school in Bakersfield, CA.

Factors that affect the relative costs and payback periods associated with a GHP project are:

The building:

Balanced heating/cooling loads yield shorter payback
New construction has shorter payback time
Year-round operations generate shorter payback time

The location:

Composition of building
Paybacks shorter in places with cooler ground temperatures, milder climates
Paybacks shorter for buildings in utility service territories with higher electricity
prices and demand charges

Energy Efficiency

Another key factor to consider is the instability of the world energy marketplace. Natural gas prices have soared to over $9 a therm and the price of oil seems to have settled at over $100 per barrel. And it’s safe to say that fossil fuel-based energy prices will continue to climb over the life of your building. Your best defense is energy efficiency.

States like California, with its 2005 revision to its Title 24 energy efficiency standards, have already begun to acknowledge this new reality. Building owners relying upon conventional heating and cooling systems will find it more difficult to keep up with these new requirements. In contrast, GHP systems already meet or exceed the most stringent energy efficiency standards.

Increasing your energy independence by investing in efficient technologies like a GHP system provided by EnLink could be the difference between keeping your doors open or shutting down.